July 11, 2017

Have you ever been hit in the head with a basketball in the mouth? Or in any sports activity for that matter? If your teeth become damaged, that’s a dental emergency! Most patients may turn to the nearest ER if they’re really in pain. In most cases though, if their problem is concerning their teeth, the ER will refer them back to their dentist. Avoiding the muddle and confusion is important if you’re trying to save your natural teeth. These are instances that you need to know how to handle a dental emergency until you can reach your emergency dentist in Longmont at Fox Creek Family Dental.

If it’s concerning your smile, call your dentist first!

A dental emergency constitutes as any problem in or around your mouth that causes you to be in pain. You probably thought of a broken or knocked out tooth—that’s exactly right! That would constitute a dental emergency, as well as soft tissues in your mouth becoming severely damaged. Of course, there are certain dental emergencies that are more urgent than others. It’s important to be able to decipher which is more urgent than another.

The following are examples of urgent dental emergencies:

Persistent bleeding.

Knocked out tooth.

Jaw injury.

Swelling that won’t go down.

A severe toothache.

These dental emergencies don’t necessarily need to be rushed into our office, but you should still call to make an appointment:

Lost dental restorations (dental crown, fillings, or bridges).

Cracked tooth (unless it’s causing severe pain).

Broken retainers or mouthguards.

Moderate toothaches.

Addressing Dental Emergencies

Undoubtedly, we would hope that our patients call our Longmont office first for assistance with any oral health issue. There are always exceptions to the rule in which we would recommend reaching out to your nearest emergency room. For example, if you are experiencing a dental injury from falling off your bike and breaking your arm as well as losing a few teeth, definitely visit the ER first to have your arm cared for and any excessive bleeding stopped. We can always work with you later to replace your teeth with our restorative dentistry options.

What do I do until I make it to the Longmont office?

You should always maintain your dental emergency as best as you can until reaching our office. Here’s the best bit of advice we can give you: No matter what kind of emergency you’re having, it’s important to stay calm!

The following are suggestions that may help you during a dental emergency at home:

Use a mixture of salt and water to relieve irritation and cleanse swelling in your mouth.

If a tooth is knocked out, retrieve it and preserve it in a glass of milk until you can get to your dentist.

Use a cold compress to help reduce swelling, numb a painful area, and apply pressure to stop bleeding.

Call Fox Creek Family Dental Anytime You Need Us!

Now that you have a better idea of how to handle an unexpected dental issue, you can manage until visiting our office. Luckily for our local patients, we stay open late just about every day of the week! Don’t ever hesitate to contact your dentist in Longmont to schedule our next available appointment.